


Denial

by Kelkat9



Series: Tumblr Prompts [13]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Pete's World Torchwood, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 04:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1455478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelkat9/pseuds/Kelkat9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose couldn't believe this was happening and receives a visit from someone from the Doctor's past</p>
            </blockquote>





	Denial

**Author's Note:**

> I think there's one curse word

It was a little thing at first. An odd feeling here, a twinge there, all of which Rose ignored. She was busy and had her hands full with her new Doctor. Even in Pete’s World, they were the Doctor and Rose, the Stuff of Legends. This meant, much to Jackie’s dismay, they still traveled, albeit on Earth instead of the stars. Well, traveled on Earth at least, until their new Tardis was ready. Not long after they arrived there was a meteor that fell into Lake Lucerne that, as it turned out, contained larvae of a Peschi which was a sort of space spawning fish that very quickly filled the lake. The Doctor dove right in, literally. After arising from the water, covered in space fish slime, he announced that the fish would be leaving in a matter of hours. The two of them along with their Torchwood team watched with delight as the fish metamorphosed into creatures of pure iridescent energy and floated out of the lake and into the sky. Of course, that left behind a lake filled with space fish slime, but after a bit of jiggery pokery, he had that sorted.

After that it was Slitheen and Sumo wrestling in Tokyo, a lost alien tourist in Marrakesh and killer bees in South America, which surprisingly, were just typical Earth killer bees, not that it mattered to him. To the Doctor, it was just another puzzle to solve. Amidst all of the coming and going, saving he Earth, helping lost aliens or deporting aliens with evil intents, was a cramping and nausea here, a headache there or collapsing from fatigue. Rose insisted she was fine, just tired. The Doctor never seemed to blink an eye at any of her maladies. Finally, it came to a head on the Appalachian Trail in America. Rose collapsed in the middle of the green monkey investigation. Jake sent her back to their hotel amidst her protests. The Doctor promised he’d share everything with her over dinner at the Twisted Squirrel pub whose name he loved and besides, they served banana daiquiris which made it an automatic stop.

She trudged back to the SUV with their medic, Harper. He dropped her off with terse orders to hydrate and rest. Rose sat on the bed in the hotel room staring at the old textured wallpaper curling at the seam. She fell backwards on the bed and rubbed her face with her hand and dozed off.

She dreamed of the Tardis and walking the corridors trailing her fingers along the coral walls listening to the comforting mechanical hum. A glowing blue ball bounced down the corridor toward her. She knelt down and picked it up and it glowed in a rainbow of colors. She heard laughter and tossed the ball back down the corridor. More laughter echoed and it bounced back. She wondered what was going on? She walked down the corridor holding the rainbow ball and turned a corner. Suddenly, she was in a field of snapdragons. The ball fell from her hands and bounced over to a grassy clearing with dozens of white floppy eared bunnies nibbling on grass. Rose stared at the bunnies in confusion. One of them sat up and asked her, quite politely, “Are you all right deary? You look a bit peaked.” She woke up with a start and a roiling stomach.

After losing her breakfast and washing her face, she stared at her pale image in the mirror. “No, it can’t be. I mean I just couldn’t be, could I?” she said, shaking her head in fierce denial. She quickly calculated in her head and wrinkled her brow in concentration. She was sure she had a monthly, but when? She walked out of the loo and stared blankly at the only window in the tiny room. She could barely conceive of the thought that was looming in her mind. She grabbed her wallet and keys and went for a walk to the local chemist.

She slowly wandered the aisles passing, headache remedies, lotion and eye drops. Finally, she arrived and stared at the variety of choices before her. It was overwhelming and inconceivable that she was even considering this purchase. And yet, for every part of her that denied the possibility, one small voice said, “Maybe.” As she stood in the aisle staring at all the choices before her and nervously chewing a nail, a middle aged women in a white suit appeared next to her.

“Some things are meant to be,” she said quietly.

Rose turned and looked at her. She had dark hair, slightly graying but her eyes. Her eyes told a different story. She’d seen the pain, sadness and hint of eternity in another set of eyes all too similar to this stranger’s. The woman smiled at her. “You know the truth of it. Once you saw this possibility along with many others and you didn’t run from it then and you won’t run from it now. Neither will he, not this time.”

“Who are you?” Rose asked, part of her concerned and knowing she should ring up Torchwood. Part of her, however, knew that this woman was not here to harm her. She was here to serve a necessary purpose. A messenger of sorts.

“I am not important. My time is over and ending soon. This is about you and what you are doing and will do. It won’t be easy but you knew that. You made the choice and will always make this choice. Thank you.”

“For what?” Rose asked, staring at the women and sensing something…calming and yet highly disturbing. She felt compassion for this woman in white.

The woman smiled enigmatically at Rose. “For what you did for him. You know, you don’t need any of this. You know the truth, but I suppose a good scientist always runs tests to confirm her hypothesis is correct doesn‘t she.”

“Yeah, s’pose your right. I’m not really a scientist though,” Rose responded calmly but not feeling at all calm.

“No, you’re so much more. You won’t see me again. This could only happen at this moment in your time line and in mine.

“Wait! Why now? Why only now?” Rose asked.

“The drums called to the end of time and he answered them as he always does. It’s almost over now for me and for the madness that consumed a dying race but it’s just beginning for you,” she said mysteriously.

“Miss!” a voice called out, tapping Rose on the shoulder. She looked at a friendly chemist wearing a dark blue uniformed top and a name tag identifying herself as “Abigail.” “May I help you?” she asked kindly.

“Oh no, I was just talking to…” Rose said, trailing off and turned back to find the woman in white vanished. “Um, I’m fine. Thanks,” she finished and grabbed two boxes from the shelf and went to the register to pay for them.

Back at the hotel she sat in the bathroom staring at two white sticks. There was a tap on the door and the Doctor peered his head in. “There you are!” he exclaimed happily. “Feeling better?”

She looked up at him and shook her head “I don’t know,” she said softly and with no assurance, wrapping her arms around herself.

He immediately sat on the edge of the bathtub next to her putting his arm around her shoulders. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked concerned.

She looked at him in a way she never had. She was almost speechless. “I…I just. I don’t’ know, Doctor.”

“Rose, look at me,” he ordered and held her face in his hands, gazing intently into her eyes.. She stared into the depths of his eyes as she had so many times before. It was easy to loose herself in them and yet she always felt safe.

She took a deep breath trying to swallow down the emotions but failing miserably as tears welled. “Doctor, I have to tell you something.”

“Whatever it is. It’ll be all right as long as we’re together,” he told her, worried at her emotional response to him.

She nodded and reached over for one of the white sticks and showed it to him. He looked at it quizzically. He put on his glasses and sniffed, wincing. “Why are you showing me a white stick covered in your urine?” he asked, backing away a bit.

Rose laughed and rolled her eyes. She should have known it wouldn’t’ be so simple. “What?” he asked indignant. “I can’t help it if my olfactory senses are more refined and sensitive than a standard twenty first century human,” he huffed.

“I went to the chemist and picked up these test ‘cos I was worried ‘bout why I was feeling ill. I mean I there was this possibility but I couldn’t believe it. Maybe I was in a bit denial thinkin’ that it wasn’t possible and I wasn‘t ready and needed proof,” she said, looking down at the floor and her trainers.

He didn’t say anything which was of course odd. She looked back up at him nervously. “Doctor?” He was staring at the bin where she’d tossed the boxes.

He looked up at her and stared into her eyes as if he was examining some alien mystery. “Doctor,” Rose said again. “Both tests say the same thing. I…I thought I was being careful and we’ve never really talked about it,” she said and paused almost afraid of his reaction.

He smiled at her with one of his huge grins that always filled her with a warmth and happiness. “Rose Tyler, why are you using such an inferior biologic test when you have me? I promise you there are better ways than…” he paused and winced. “urinating on a some little stick. I mean that is disgusting!”

Rose burst out in laughter breaking the tension. She looked at him binning the tests and laughed harder until tears rolled down her face. “Uh, Rose are you all right down there?” he asked and knelt next to where she was rolling in laughter on the floor. He eventually scooped her up, still giggling and set her down on the bed. He laid down next to her, looking at her through his glasses which had slid down his nose slightly.

She calmed down and stared at him. “I’m sorry. It’s just…wasn’t expecting this to be happenin’ so soon and didn’t know how you’d be feelin’ ‘bout us havin’ a little you runnin’ about.”

“Rose love, do you really think that I can’t detect changes in your hormone levels? I mean given the amount of snogging and other things we do, it’s not like I’m not immersed in a constant supply of Rose Tyler.”

Rose wrinkled her nose at this. That was just so Doctor. “So, are you sayin’ you’re not surprised then? I mean if you knew why didn’t you…”

“Well, I may have had my suspicions, but the only one who could confirm it was you. You weren’t ready.”

“And you think I am now? And what ‘bout you? Are you, you know ready?”

He smiled. “You are more ready than you know. And, as for me, wellll, it’s gonna be an adventure that’s for sure. Been a father before but not like this. I can’t promise you I won’t muck it up. I…I wasn’t the best father, Rose. They’re gone now and it’s my fault. I don’t want to make the same mistakes,” he said as he looked off, his eyes filled with painful memories.

Rose snuggled up to him. “You won’t. I know you won’t. We’re in this together. You and me. I just need you to do this with me, yeah?”

He reached over and grasped her hand. “Together,” he whispered.

Rose kissed him softly. “So what made you decide to do this today?” he asked. “Well, I mean other than the fainting thing which was very, very bad and worrisome.”

“Yeah, I was in a bit of denial really but then I had this weird dream and then there was the lady in white at the chemist.”

The Doctor sat up. “Dream? Lady in white? What lady in white?” he asked looking worried.

“I dunno. She just sort of appeared when I was standin’ thinkin’ ‘bout what test to buy. Somethin’ ‘bout her was just different. She…” Rose tried to explain, trailing off.

“Show me,” he almost demanded. Rose looked up at his intense expression. “Doctor, she wasn’t threatenin’ me and didn’t hurt me. She just sort of said some odd things and disappeared.”

“It’s too much a coincidence that someone just appears in front of you in a moment of conflict when you’re pregnant with my offspring. I need to see, Rose,” he said, obviously upset.

“Okay,” she nodded and let him look into her memories. It didn’t take long and he jumped back gasping. “Doctor?” she asked, now worried.

He stared at Rose for a long time before answering. “Something’s happened. She shouldn’t have been here.”

“She said something ‘bout drums, the end of time and a dying race. When I looked at her…I saw something. Doctor, she knew you didn’t she. She told me not to worry, that you wouldn’t’ run this time. She wouldn’t tell me her name.”

“No, she wouldn’t,” he said tonelessly and obviously shaken.

“Doctor, talk to me! Tell me what’s goin’ on!” Rose demanded.

He looked at Rose. “There’s only one way she could be here,” he said, his voice shaking with emotion. “Gallifrey, the time lock, something must have happened. I don’t know how.” He began to pace and pull at his hair. “Drums. She used the word drums and that could only mean one thing, but he’s dead.” Rose watched silently as he worked through this. “The Master. He always was an escape artist. Had me mourning him, the bastard!” he Doctor barked out. “He must have come back and done something.”

“But other you was there and stopped it, right? She said this could only happen once and her time was over.”

He stared at Rose and walked over plopping down beside her on the bed. “Yeah,” he answered anguished. “Other me would set things right.”

“Why me though? Why not see you? If she only had one chance, why come see me?”

The Doctor looked over at her and his face softened. “Because she need to see you, to see that not everything was lost and maybe you needed to see her.”

Rose looked deep into his eyes and part of her understood who this woman was. Once again, tears fell down her face. “I’m sorry, Doctor,” she whispered and hugged him to her.

“Don’t be. I’m glad she knows,” he whispered back, holding Rose tightly to him.

“Yeah, me too. Besides, may have been mysterious but she was ten times better than the talkin’ rabbit,” Rose confided.

The Doctor pulled back and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Talking rabbit?”

“Apparently little bit here,” she said, rubbing her stomach, “has an odd sense of humor and likes to give his Mum some weird dreams,” she told him smiling.

“Oh, come now, he’s just creative and expressing his frankly magnificent telepathic abilities. He leaned down to Rose’s stomach. “Isn’t that right my brilliant little fetus,” he said grinning.

Rose wrinkled her nose. “Doctor, you are so not going to go around callin’ him our little fetus. Pick out somethin’ else and while you’re at it um, think you can ask him to lay off the talkin’ rabbits and maybe just stick to playin’ catch or I dunno playin’ with puppies or something?”

The Doctor just grinned at her. “We’re having a baby!” he said, bouncing up and down on the bed.

“Yeah, guess we are,” Rose answered now fully embracing the idea and pulling him into her arms thinking for the first time she could do this with him.


End file.
